Have You Forgotten?
by Fayolinn
Summary: JongKey. They've been dating for a year; Jonghyun's planning to propose marriage, but something goes horribly wrong...
1. Chapter 1

**Originally written in June of 2011. Kpop OTP ❤**

* * *

They had been on their way to dinner. Having just finished a photo shoot, the two young men drove along the deserted street. The older sat behind the wheel, running a hand through his brunette bangs. He laughed at his partner's comments, pausing every moment to cast a glance his way. The way his heart fluttered every time he laid eyes on the younger, diva-like other never got old. Jonghyun's smile widened when Key finally looked over, noticing his glued stare.

"Jjong," Key scolded, though there was a hint of a tease in his tone. "Keep your eyes on the road, _babo_."

"My bad," Jonghyun chaffed and returned his gaze focused before him. He slipped a hand to Key's leg, massaging his thigh. Key batted his hand away, but not before looking pleased.

"Wonder where we're eating." Key had thrown the statement into the air off-handedly, causing Jonghyun to wonder if Key even remembered what day it was. Casting a sideways glance, he saw his companion gazing out the window with a glaze over his eyes. The corners of his mouth were involuntarily upturned and he fingered the unique necklace that usually dangled under his shirt – the sister necklace to Jonghyun's own. Jonghyun grinned again, and he knew Key knew too.

It was their anniversary. Well, in a way, it had been more than that. They had been dating before – before that incident. Jonghyun frowned as he thought back to the past, noticing small droplets of rain beginning to patter onto the car.

Sekyung. Before he had been dating Sekyung, Key and he had hit it off almost immediately. It was at the beginning of their Ring Ding Dong era when Jonghyun had asked - asked Key to go out with him, to be his. He had been contemplating for months, but it was the first time he had truly been scared. To find out he was bisexual was one thing – to see if Key was was another. But that simple question had changed nothing – it had only made it official. A month later, they exchanged necklaces: a key for Jonghyun, a jeweled (or "blinged") one for Key.

It was only some time after that when she popped into his life. Key and he had been going through their quarrels, each one gradually getting worse. In one particularly nasty spat, they had ended their relationship and in the end, he and Sekyung were then a couple. During that time, Jonghyun tucked away his necklace at the bottom of a drawer, hidden in sight and collecting dust. He thought Key would only do the same, but Jonghyun practically broke inside when Key had finally confessed to have worn it every day while they were apart…

Jonghyun cleared his throat as he flicked the windshield wipers on. But now he and Key were back together – and it was going to stay that way. He had been reckless and temporarily blinded, but that would happen no more. He would keep his promises. It had now been a year since he had re-asked Key, and it was going to become many years after that.

Subconsciously, Jonghyun's hand slid to his pants pocket where a small bulge was hardly noticeable. Inside laid a small box – a special box. Swallowing, the vocalist checked to see if Key was still looking away.

He was going to propose – make it even more official than it was already. He wanted to prove to Key that he was as faithful as he boasted, as serious as he claimed to be. Jonghyun honestly wanted to live with this man for the rest of his life, to be his one and only, to be more than a –

"JONGHYUN!"

At Key's shriek, Jonghyun gripped the steering wheel with both hands as his mind cleared. Ahead of him, all he could see were the blinding headlights of an oncoming truck, much larger in size than they were. With no time to think, Jonghyun made a hard turn. Due to the rain, their car slid, skidding on the wet road. The last thing Jonghyun could recall were the desperate screams of Key before everything went black.

* * *

1 WEEK LATER

Jonghyun burst through the hospital doors, his eyes immediately focused upon the bed by the window.

"Is he awake yet?" These four words could've easily become his most commonly-used ones during the last seven days, and he would continue to repeat them until he got the answer he wanted. He stepped forward, holding his breath as Onew, Minho, and Taemin soon followed in.

The doctor stood from his stool by the bedside, his face sympathetic. "I'm afraid not, Mr. Kim," he answered sadly. "He still remains in his coma, and like I've said, we are unsure when he may recover… if at all."

Jonghyun ground his teeth as he looked away. He remained silent as the doctor kindly excused himself, allowing them to be alone. Taemin walked up to Jonghyun, wordlessly slipping his arms around his hyung's waist from behind.

"Don't listen to him, Jonghyun-hyung," the maknae murmured. "Doctors are trained to say that… he doesn't know Key like we do."

At the mention of the name, Jonghyun's teary eyes slid from the floor to the bed once more. There lay Key, peacefully still, looking as if he were merely napping. Taemin gently grabbed Jonghyun's hand, leading him quietly to Key's side. Onew and Minho followed at a respectful distance, knowing crowding would only be a hindrance.

"Why won't he wake?" Jonghyun croaked, knowing it was a childish question. _Because you were careless, you fool._ He could clearly picture Key, with his twinkling eyes, playfully pushing his shoulder and laughing, "_Babo_!" A tear spilled onto the vocalist's cheek, and Taemin stared at him sadly.

"Maybe it's not his time yet." Jonghyun glanced at Taemin, who gave him a hopeful smile. "U-Umma knows best."

* * *

3 DAYS LATER

Jonghyun sat alone in a small coffee shop by the hospital, blankly stirring his drink. He refused to be far from Key, faithfully hoping at any moment he could return and Key'd be there, awake – smiling, laughing, teasing, or anything. He'd give _anything_ to have Key back. To have him alive and whole but unresponsive was so… it was as if Key wasn't there at all.

Every day, he would look at those pictures – those pictures of the photo shoot from ten days ago, remnants from the times he now craved. It seemed the only two things he ever did nowadays were to sit by Key's bedside and flip through the photos, trying not to let any of his tears drop onto them. Some might call him hopeless, but it was all he could do to stay sane. Of course, they didn't help erase the blame he constantly brought upon himself…

Jonghyun took a sip of his beverage, hardly tasting anything. He looked out the window at the cloudy sky, letting out a long exhale. It was only when he heard someone clear their throat nearby that he tore his gaze from outside.

"L-Leeteuk?"

The leader of Super Junior sat across from him at the two-person table, holding his own hot drink and smiling widely.

"Hey there, yourself," Leeteuk cordially answered. "You looked a tad lonely, and for once I came here myself, so I figured why not save a table and sit together?" The older man chuckled, adding, "But of course, if you'd prefer–"

"Oh no," Jonghyun quickly interrupted, "it's… it's fine." He smiled, glad to see another friendly familiar face. "Sorry for… for not noticing you earlier."

Leeteuk waved a hand, shaking his hand. "Nah, don't worry about it. I get noticed all the time by fans, it's nice to be ignored now and then." Noticing Jonghyun's inquiring expression, he laughed again. "Nevermind, enough about me." Folding his legs, Leeteuk leaned forward. "How about you? What's up? Anything you want to talk about?"

Jonghyun shrugged, attempting a smile. "Nothing much. The usual stress, trying to write a new song, got another photoshoot coming up–"

"Is it this easy for everyone to tell that you're lying?"

"I – what?" Jonghyun paused, catching Leeteuk's eye. "What're you saying?" He wasn't lying… he was stressed, he actually was working on a song, there was yet another photo shoot on their schedule…

"I mean," Leeteuk rephrased, choosing his words carefully, "you're avoiding something." There was a deliberate break while the older man finally asked, "It's Key, isn't it?"

Jonghyun's expression hardened, and he was about to deny it… but looking deeper into Leeteuk's eyes, he knew the leader had already caught on. Did he know what had happened? They had tried to keep it a secret from basically everyone, saying that Key merely had a serious case of the flu and was unable to attend all programs and other meetings…

Leeteuk cleared this throat, solemn now. "You see… Ryeowook was administered into the hospital today because he broke his arm during practice. We were all there to see him safely to his room, but I stayed behind because I felt, as the leader, I had to give him some extra words of encouragement. As I was leaving the ward – the one they reserve only for idols and such – I heard some doctors nearby talking about a certain Kim Kibum from SM Entertainment in a few rooms down. Knowing it wasn't our Kibum because he had just left an hour before, unharmed, I asked them about it. I proved that I was a part of SM as well and they let me in on what happened." Leeteuk sighed, laying a hand over Jonghyun's. "They let me see him… so I went to find you."

Jonghyun bit his lip, staring down into his coffee. "They don't know if he'll… if he'll ever wake up…" His voice was hardly above a whisper, strained and weak. He felt Leeteuk hand give him a reassuring squeeze.

"They don't know, but we do." Jonghyun raised his wet eyes to Leeteuk's warm smile. "You and the rest of SHINee know him better than anyone else ever could, and I know you especially have the greatest confidence in Key – so why believe a stranger when you could rely on this?" Leeteuk's fingertips rested on Jonghyun's chest, on his beating heart. Jonghyun sniffed, nodding.

"Yeah… you're right. I–"

He felt his cell phone buzz as it began to elicit a beautiful melody, a melody Key often would turn on to soothe his nerves. Pulling it out of his pocket, he politely excused himself – Leeteuk nodded knowingly, retreating his hand. Flipping the phone open, Jonghyun opened the latest text message, sent by Taemin.

He could've sworn his heart stopped for a moment.

"Uh, hey, Leeteuk," he began to mumble quickly, gathering his things and wrenching on his jacket. "I, um, gotta go, and uh…" His mind was in a flurry, and he nearly tripped over his chair as he tried to stand. He wished he could be more coherent, but at this moment, he could hardly remember his name. "Sorry to leave so soon, but I, uh, I'm going to–"

Leeteuk only grinned, grabbing Jonghyun's shoulders to brace him. "Alright, just calm down." He took the younger man's cell phone off the table and placed it into his hand. "Good luck, and don't hurt yourself." The Super Junior leader clapped him on the shoulder one more time before embracing him in a hug. "Hurry."

Jonghyun nodded, thankful, before spinning around and sprinting out of the shop. His legs were flying almost as fast as his heart was racing. Though his breath came in gasps, he didn't feel tired – at this rate, he felt he could run for miles without stopping. There was only one thing on his mind right now, and it was the text. In his mind, he reread it over and over, for it was the fuel he needed to keep running to his destination, the words he had been praying, dreaming, and longing for for over a week.

_Come quick – he's awake!_

* * *

10 MINUTES LATER

It was like Jonghyun had imagined. There he was, sitting upright, looking like a queen being doted upon, surrounded by the three other members. He was conversing with them, nodding, smiling, listening. His hands lay in his lap, his legs covered by a thin, white sheet. Jonghyun slowly stepped closer, almost afraid to breathe, to find out this was merely a dream. Was Key really awake?

"Jonghyun-hyung!" Taemin stood up, smiling widely. He jumped from his seat, beckoning Jonghyun closer. "We just arrived and look who we found waiting for us… come on!" The maknae ran to his hyung, grabbing his hand and pulling him to Key's bedside. "He doesn't remember the crash at all, we tried to inform him on what you had told us. Go on, talk to him!"

Jonghyun sat in the empty seat closest to Key's head, at a loss for words. He gazed into Key's beautiful eyes, finally at home. For the past ten days, he had been rehearsing what he would say once Key had awoken, but now… now, it was all forgotten. Jonghyun kept opening and closing his mouth, feeling the tears well up. Eventually, he just shook his head. Cupping Key's jaw with one hand, he ran his other through the diva's hair as he pressed their lips together, savoring the moment. It was the pure bliss he had missed so much, the soaring sensation he so often longed for, it was all right and perfect…

Until he felt two firm hands push on his chest, separating them.

Key glared at Jonghyun, highly offended and disgusted. Everyone else stared, dumbfounded. Onew's jaw dropped, Minho's eyes widened, Taemin gasped, and Jonghyun… Jonghyun was even more at a loss than before.

"Just _who_ do you think _you_ are?" The diva's demanding tone was sharp with no hint of a tease.

"I'm… Key, i-it's me… Jonghyun. You're… we're… we're together… remember?"

Key's eyebrows furrowed as he leaned back into his pillows, wiping his mouth and smoothing his hair. "Do you do this to everybody who just wakes up from a coma? Is this some sick habit of yours?"

Jonghyun glanced around at the other members, hoping they had planned some cruel joke beforehand. "I… no, Key… what're you talking about? It's _me_, Jonghyun! We've been together for a year now; no, more than that – we're in SHINee, it's been almost–"

"I know other Jonghyuns, but definitely not you." Key sniffed, his mouth set. "I also know I'm a part of SHINee, but I know you aren't, and I know we're not dating."

Jonghyun swallowed, trying to steady his nerves. "Key, listen to what you're saying. You–"

"I know perfectly well what I'm speaking about, thanks."

Taemin whimpered, shrinking into his seat. Jonghyun stopped to look at him, and Taemin, sensing his gaze, met his eyes. "I think he has a mild case of retrograde amnesia…"

Jonghyun blinked. "What?"

Taemin hesitated, but with an encouraging nod from Minho, he continued. "We learned about it recently in school, in health class. In the case of retrograde amnesia, patients who experience some trauma often forget what's happened to them prior to the accident. In Key's case, he remembers most things… except, well… you, Jonghyun. It seems he's forgotten everything that's passed between you two… recovery is possible, but events occurring closest to the accident are the easiest lost and may possibly be lost forever…" Taemin's voice trailed away, ending in a choked sob.

Jonghyun stared at his hands before glancing up at Key, who now refused to even look his way.

"I don't care what you say," Key muttered; "I was never in love with this stranger."

It broke Jonghyun's heart to hear those words, but for some reason, he wasn't entirely surprised to hear this response. It must've been some scenario that had played in his mind before, but he had refused to bring it to light…

But just like before, he wasn't going to take _no_ for an answer.

He wouldn't lose Key to this.

He'd do whatever it took, whether it took a day, a year, a decade, or until he died.

Jonghyun leaned forward for another kiss, ignoring the slap to the cheek he received for it. "Then I'm just gonna make you fall in love with this stranger all over again."

* * *

1 DAY LATER

"Let me out of this car, you rapist!"

With the help from the others, Jonghyun had successfully managed to kidnap Key and bring him home from the hospital. The doctors had okayed him as healthy and had confirmed the strange case of amnesia – but this still didn't help convince Key he wasn't being taken home by an obsessed stalker.

"As you wish, honey." Jonghyun grinned, noting how it set Key off the edge. He didn't enjoy irritating Key in this deliberate way, but he hoped as time progressed, Key would slowly grow accustomed to such informal language as they had used before the accident.

Stepping out of the car and coming around to Key's side – for he had used the child-safety lock so that the door couldn't be opened from the inside – he opened the door and quickly scooped the younger man into his arms before he could escape. Key yelped in surprise, squirming roughly.

"Put me down!" he screamed, hating the fact he was being carried bridal style.

"Sure thing." Once they were inside the door, he set Key on his feet before locking the door and leaning his full weight against it. Key tried to pry him off, but to no avail. Jonghyun watched with slight amusement as Key continued to search for ways to get him off the door in a frustrated but determined manner. In the end, Key resorted to tickling, trying to find where the older man was most vulnerable.

"Mmm, nice try," Jonghyun chuckled, feeling satisfied. Only the Key he truly knew would know where he was most ticklish. "I bet you'll never–"

_Dammit, he found it._

Key's fingers found their way to the point just between his shoulder blades, causing Jonghyun to collapse in a heap of laughter. Triumphant, Key reached for the doorknob only to be knocked off his feet. Too bad Jonghyun knew where Key was most ticklish, too.

"That's not fair," growled Key, trying to wriggle away from Jonghyun – but the other man had already pinned him to the ground, trapping his arms so that he could kiss him without a slap.

"How'd you know where I was ticklish?" Jonghyun questioned; when Key turned his face away so that he wouldn't be kissed on the mouth, he softly caressed the younger man's neck with his lips. "No one has ever guessed that spot correctly."

He felt Key hesitate before he began writhing again.

"You remembered a little, didn't you?"

"No!" Key's fierce eyes locked with his, but a trace of uncertainty was present in his glare. "Let me go, or I call the police!"

Jonghyun couldn't help laugh a bit. "I thought you were going to do that anyway?"

"Shut up," Key hissed aggressively, trying to knee the older man. "If you weren't so damn handsome, I'd…"

"Oh, so you remembered that as well? Or is that just a given?"

Jonghyun allowed himself to be shoved off, watching as Key fled down the hallway. Taking his time, the vocalist wandered after Key to hear some scuffling in the bedroom. Peeking into the room, he found Key frozen, staring at the pictures situated on the nightstand.

The pictures were of them, smiling, hugging, laughing, kissing, singing, eating, sleeping, doing practically everything together. On the other side of the bed was another nightstand, hosting another array of pictures, though of fewer in number. These were larger and obviously held in higher importance. The newest addition to these was from the most recent photo shoot, taking place only ten days ago. Jonghyun walked over to the other side of the bed, carefully picking up this photo and caressing the frame with his thumb.

"Ten days ago, Key. Only ten. The date's on here, in the corner." His voice was soft now, just above a whisper. "Go ask the photographer, go ask our manager, go ask the other members you saw just this morning." Jonghyun looked up at Key, reaching over the bed and thrusting the picture into his hands. "Look."

Key faltered before obeying. It indeed was him, held tightly in the embrace of Jonghyun. Jonghyun's arms were wrapped tightly around his waist, his eyes closed as he kissed Key's cheek. Key's expression was of surprise and elation, laughing as he tried to push his partner playfully away.

"'Babo,'" you would say, Jonghyun said quietly. "'Babo, this is a photo shoot. Be professional, we can't do this now!' The photographer let me keep that because it wasn't included in the official set. Now tell me you believe that's truly us!"

Key shook his head, refusing to listen. "I… no, it's not. It can't be. I don't remember you! It's not us! You must've Photoshopped his, or the photographer did, or someone!" He was tempted to throw the photograph onto the floor, but for some reason, he only laid it on the bed. "It's not us!"

"Look around you!" Jonghyun raised his voice and Key jumped, surprised the other man was behaving like this for the first time around him yet. "Look around this whole house! Your things are here and so are mine – we live together, Key! I don't care what kind of amnesia you have, you must remember somehow!" He stepped towards Key, who stepped back until he found himself plastered against the wall. With nowhere to run, he held his breath as Jonghyun pushed his forehead against his.

"Look at this." He reached down Key's shirt to pull out the necklace he wore. With his other hand, Jonghyun revealed his own.

"They match," Key found himself whispering before catching himself. "No; no no no! You could've slipped that around my neck while I was in my coma!" He pushed Jonghyun away, shaking his head. "Stop this, alright? I – I don't know what's going on, okay? Step in my shoes for a moment – I mean, I wake up yesterday only to find that I'm part of a band, SHINee. That came back to me fairly quickly, and for some reason I instantly remember the others once they introduce themselves. But then… then there's you! How come I don't remember you? For all I know, you're just some crazed stalker who's been allowed to kidnap me. You've stolen all my stuff and placed it around your house, making it look like I've lived here for months. You've had pictures of me Photoshopped into yours, you've bought me matching necklaces, you've had others lie to me about some supposed relationship we've had – how can I believe you?!"

By this point, Key's voice was shrill and shaking. He began to wobble, unsteady on his feet, until he collapsed onto the floor. He began to sob quietly, leaning against the wall. Jonghyun yearned to comfort Key but used all his will power to hold himself back – Key wouldn't accept it at this point.

A few minutes passed. Jonghyun sat on the bed, waiting patiently. Key's sobs eventually died down before he sat in silence, thinking.

"I want to believe you… but I think I just need some time."

Jonghyun nodded silently, rising to his feet. He replaced the photo back onto the nightstand before walking to the door. "I'll be sleeping on the couch… you can have the bed. Call me if you need anything, then." And he left.


	2. Chapter 2

**Originally written July of 2011.**

* * *

3 MONTHS LATER

Key stumbled into the house late that night, shedding his soggy shoes in the designated area by the welcome mat. The building was dark, save for the moonlight flooding through the cracks in the curtains. Letting his eyes adjust slowly, Key slumped against the door, resting his head against its sturdy surface. His gazed wandered across the room, pausing on the couch. It was vacant. For a second, Key pondered about Jonghyun's whereabouts – was he out too? – but he quickly brushed it aside.

Suppressing a shiver, Key made his way to the bathroom. He prepared himself a hot bath, locking the door behind him just in case. No matter how many times Jonghyun assured him they had bathed together before, how was he supposed to just blindly accept this guy's statements?

Key slipped into the tub, relishing the feeling of the hot water against his chilled flesh. He sank beneath the surface for a few moments before coming up for air. He sat there, feeling his tense muscles loosen, quietly humming to himself.

He had just been in the park not too long ago. Thinking… that's what he had been doing. Not that he hadn't done plenty of that earlier. He had sat there on an empty bench, walked the paths, looked out at the lake… The original plan had been just to get some fresh air, to clear his head… but somehow, his mind always found a way to focus back on him.

Jonghyun.

Key sank lower in the bathtub, releasing a heavy sigh. Why was that man such a big mystery to him? The vocalist insisted that they were lovers, that they had done practically everything together – Key shuddered at the thought of what he could mean by that – and everyone else believed the same. Or they were simply playing along – but why would they do that? What would they gain by doing so?

After a good deal of soaking, Key exited the bathroom clothed in his bathrobe and boxers. He silently shuffled down the corridor to the bedroom, suddenly feeling incredibly sleepy. Turning the corner, he failed to realize he wasn't alone until he reached the bedside. Gasping, he realized Jonghyun had beaten him to the bed. Feeling a twinge of annoyance – or was it just surprise? It was hard to tell at such a late hour – he was about to object when he saw a small piece of paper lying on the covers besides Jonghyun.

Key slowly reached for it, holding it close to read in the dim lighting. By the looks of it, it appeared that Jonghyun had scribbled this note, and it was meant for him. "Sorry – didn't know when you'd be home. Feel free to kick me out of bed. Love you."

Key bit his lip, suddenly feeling somewhat guilty. He glanced towards the slumbering Jonghyun, whose back faced him. He placed the slip of paper gently on the nightstand, his fingers brushing it lightly. As he pulled back his hand, he caught sight of the multiple pictures layered beside it on the table. Though he knew they had always been there, that they consisted of him and Jonghyun together… he hadn't really spent the time to study them closely.

Key sat cautiously on the edge of the bed, taking a hold of one of the framed photos. This particular one had him and Jonghyun sitting in chairs, beside one another, with Key's hand in Jonghyun's. Jonghyun was holding Key's hand up to his chest, smiling widely as they made eye contact.* He grabbed another. This one featured them two wearing matching shirts in opposite colors with their hands held up in the usual V-shape.** Key felt the corners of his lips twitch upwards at their height difference.

Still. Shaking his head, Key set the pictures back in place, staring at his hands. What should he do? After all Jonghyun had done for him… though he still felt like a stranger… Key couldn't bring himself to kick him out of bed like he owned the place. Casting a peek over his shoulder, Key eventually bit his tongue and slipped under the covers without another second of hesitation. Jonghyun was asleep anyway. He could easily wake before the vocalist and act like he had slept on the couch the whole night.

Key laid his head into the soft downy pillow, half-lidded eyes grazing over Jonghyun's back. The older man's soft snores reached his ears, creating an oddly soothing rhythm. Though he was too tired to admit it, Key found himself being somewhat lulled to sleep. Absently, he found himself seeking warmth – the blankets were rather thin – and within a couple minutes, Key was out, his breathing slowed to a heavy, steady rhythm. His nose was tucked into back of Jonghyun's neck, tickled lightly by the baby hairs. His arms were tucked up to his chest, resting in the small of Jonghyun's back.

Though Key never realized, Jonghyun had awoken as soon as the younger man had sat on the bed. Now that they were in this position, he remained frozen, wanting to cherish this moment forever. As he closed his eyes again, a single tear rolled down his cheek, dropping onto his pillow.

-x-

Things had begun to progress in a smoother fashion as time progressed. Shows and interviews became more fluent and natural as Key learned to feign his regular companionship with Jonghyun. Practices weren't half bad either. Though on the day after Key had slipped into bed with Jonghyun for the first time (he had failed to wake up first, so he was painfully aware that Jonghyun knew about the whole ordeal), Jonghyun had sent a few looks Key's way, but he had ignored them as usual. Still, whether he was just tired or it was the lighting, he thought he saw a blush returning in the diva's cheeks.

They were currently on break. SHINee sat in their practice room in a circle, laughing and sharing bottles of water. Minho made a particularly hilarious joke, causing Onew – who was naturally clumsy with his condition – to choke and spill. The other members laughed good-naturedly, getting on their leader's case. Onew himself couldn't help but laugh, shrugging off the accident.

Practice started up again as normal. They drilled through their routine – luckily Key's skills had stuck with him – sweaty yet satisfied. They were nearing the end of their session when Taemin asked if they could run through it once more, just to make sure they had it completely together. The other members were fatigued, but agree that Taemin had a point.

Everything was going smoothly, their moves were synchronized, their voices blending well – until Key's foot slipped in the small pool of water left behind by Onew's blunder, sending the young diva crashing to the floor. Jonghyun saw it happen too late, diving towards his fallen member desperately with a cry. Everything seemed to occur in slow motion. Taemin gasped, Minho rushed for help, and Onew sunk to his knees.

"Key? Key!" Jonghyun held the unconscious young man in his arms, cradling his head. The vocalist was frantic, his eyes wide with terror. "KEY!" Jonghyun's voice was shrill as he constantly stroked Key's face, hoping for any sign of life. Sure, his heart was still beating, but he couldn't help but feel terribly overwhelmed by the sensation of déjà vu. He wasn't responding. It was happening again.

"KEY! NO! PLEASE, WAKE UP!" Jonghyun was sobbing now, unrestrained tears freely flowing. "Wake up, wake up," he kept repeating, over and over. Their manager and medics were now by Key's side, tending to the diva. They requested that Jonghyun back away so that they could work without being crowded, but he refused to budge. He blindly pushed them all away, solely intent upon staying by Key's side.

This time, he wouldn't leave. He'd forsake food, water, and sleep to be with him.

He wasn't going to lose him again.

-x-

Just like he said he would, Jonghyun remained by Key's side the entire time, escorting him to the hospital and keeping watch by his bedside. Occasionally he'd accept the snacks the nurses or other members of SHINee would offer him, but he wouldn't leave. He watched as Key lay there, sleeping, just as he had a couple months ago following the first accident. Jonghyun brushed his fingers through the diva's fine hair, hoping at any moment Key would open his eyes and smile at him once again.

Jonghyun crossed his arms on the side of the bed, resting his forehead upon them. He was dry of tears by this point. Instead, he was swallowed by an empty feeling worse than loneliness. He had tried to remain optimistic to soothe the panicked Taemin and worried Minho and Onew, but even they realized his façade. Closing his eyes, Jonghyun begged sleep to take him before his mind wandered further and brought up possible heart-breaking scenarios.

-x-

Jonghyun stirred; someone was touching him – that was probably why he had awoken. Were they trying to get his attention? No… it felt more like they were stroking him, a soothing gesture rather than an attention-grabbing one. It was comfortable and gentle; he was afraid that if he moved, it would go away. He involuntarily hummed appreciatively, still half asleep. This resulted in a small, soft chuckle, a tinkling sound pleasing to the ear. Jonghyun smiled – such a nice sound… and a familiar one at that.

Why was it so familiar?

Curious, Jonghyun forced his eyes to open. Blinking as he turned his head, he tried to make out who exactly was in front of him. He was still pretty groggy, but he could tell it was a young man looking down at him, smiling serenely. Jonghyun frowned – who was this? It wasn't… no, it couldn't… how could it…

"Key?"

Key leaned further back into his pillows; though his body showed signs of being fatigued, his eyes sparkled with bright compassion and happiness. "Jjong," he whispered feebly.

Jonghyun sat up abruptly, staring. Key raised an eyebrow weakly, partly surprised, as Jonghyun looked him over. "Jjong?" he whispered again, and it was then that Jonghyun realized Key was back to normal. He was his regular self again – he was _his_ Key.

"Jonghyun, what's–" Key was cut off as Jonghyun gently – it took all of his restraint to not be rough – grabbed either side of his face and pulled him in for a kiss. Key was taken aback, widened eyes betraying his surprise, before he let out a content sigh, returning Jonghyun's kiss. Jonghyun was hungry, months of holding back being released in that one moment, his hands roaming through Key's hair, neck, chest, arms, stomach, anywhere he could grab. When they began to feel Key's lower half, Key took a quick breath, pushing Jonghyun away quietly.

"Eager as always," Key muttered knowingly, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "I have a headache, babo, so please calm down." He expected Jonghyun to snort and try for another kiss, but Key's smile faltered once he saw his lover's eyes wet with tears. "J-Jonghyun?"

Jonghyun bit his tongue, pulling Key into an embrace. He wrapped his hands around Key's head and shoulders, holding him tightly to his chest. He buried his nose into Key's hair, breathing in his sweet, seducing scent. "Don't leave me ever again," he murmured through clenched teeth, the aching feeling in his chest returning at the thought of Key being forever absent in his life.

Key hesitated, unsure of what to say. "B-Babo," he said, feebly reaching up to stroke Jonghyun's hair again. When Jonghyun finally pulled away, the diva reached up with his delicate fingers to wipe away the vocalist's tears. "You're always crying…" he whispered, a half smile gracing his face. "It's like… like you haven't seen me in months."

Jonghyun grabbed Key's hand, squeezing it. "It's because I haven't."

Key blinked, waiting for him to add a "just kidding" or something. When it didn't come, Key's expression turned worrisome. "What do you mean… you haven't?"

Jonghyun's brow furrowed. How could he say this to make Key understand? "You… I…" With some minor difficulty, he locked gazes with his boyfriend. "A few months ago… there was an accident. We – no, _I_ was driving, and I wasn't paying attention… so though we both lived, you slipped into a coma for about ten days. When you finally awoke… you weren't yourself." Jonghyun's eyes saddened considerably. "You remembered everything… except _me_." Jonghyun closed his eyes. "Taemin described it as retrograde amnesia… you've been living with it for a couple months now, and yesterday, you hit your head, so I guess now… you're back to normal…"

Key's eyes searched Jonghyun's while he listened to the entire explanation. His genuine shock proved to Jonghyun that Key hadn't faked anything and only made him want to hug and kiss him all the more.

"I… I don't understand," Key finally managed, clutching his chest. "How could I… I don't… all I remember was being in the car with you, we were going to dinner…"

Jonghyun blinked. "You… remember from that long ago?"

Key nodded slowly. "It… feels like I just woke up." Jonghyun saw the diva's eyes begin to shine with wetness. "And it was our… our anniversary."

Jonghyun could think of nothing to say. Key's devastated expression only broke Jonghyun's heart further. Feeling inclined to comfort him, Jonghyun slipped under the covers beside Key. Key gladly obliged, snuggling close and settling his face in the crook of Jonghyun's neck. His warm, shallow breath ghosted over Jonghyun's collarbone, sending slight shivers down the vocalist's spine. Oh, how he had missed the times when they could cuddle like this and Key wouldn't be sent into a furious frenzy.

They stayed like that for a moment, basking in each other's comfortable silence. They were finally reunited at last, and neither could be happier. Jonghyun rested his cheek on the top of Key's head, trailing his fingers across Key's jaw, down his neck, and stopping to rest on his chest. He felt Key's faint but steady heartbeat, echoed by the monitor at the bedside.

"Key?" Jonghyun suddenly asked, swallowing.

"Hmm?" Key hummed softly, pressing his nose into Jonghyun's neck.

"I, um… remember when we first met, our first day as SHINee… we always joked about how our last names were both Kim?"

"Mhmm," Key hummed again.

"And how people always joked that we were already like a married couple?"

Key giggled slightly. "Someone's feeling nostalgic today."

At that moment, Jonghyun stiffened slightly, causing Key to worry slightly. "Jjong?" He felt Jonghyun place a finger under his chin and lift it so that they were gazing into each other's eyes. "W-what's wrong? Are you okay? Did I say something wrong?"

Jonghyun shook his head, planting a tender kiss on Key's pink lips. "No, nothing's wrong. In fact, it couldn't be better. It's just…" He took a deep breath – he looked so nervous, like he could be sick at any moment. "I, uh… it's just… Key, before the accident, before the whole amnesia factor came into our lives… there was something I was going to ask you. I'm absolutely no good with any of this stuff, so, please forgive me, it's probably nothing like you imagined, so I–"

Key placed a single finger over Jonghyun's trembling lips. "Babo, I don't understand what you're saying."

"What I'm saying is…" Jonghyun inhaled deeply, sitting up and taking Key's hands in his. Maybe now wasn't the right time to be doing this, but he couldn't wait a moment longer – he wasn't taking any chances. "Like I said, regarding the joke about us acting like a married couple…" The vocalist paused, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small, black box wrapped neatly in silver ribbon. He slowly opened it, revealing its contents.

Inside lay a simple yet elegant silver-gold ring.

"How would you like to make that joke a reality?"

Key gasped, his hands flying to his mouth. Tears began to form at the corners of his eyes, and a choked sob escaped from his lips.

"Kim Kibum… would you marry me and become my–"

Though he was in a weakened state, Key managed to muster the strength to throw his arms around Jonghyun's shoulders and hug him tightly before slipping his tongue into his lover's mouth. Their tongues clashed against one another, roaming the other's mouth as Jonghyun gently lowered Key onto the pillow so that he was now topping.

"I take that as a yes?"

Jonghyun slipped the ring out from the box and held it between them.

"Yes." Jonghyun placed the engagement ring on Key's finger. Key held up his left hand, admiring it and smiling wider than ever before.

"It's official," Jonghyun whispered, rubbing noses with Key, who laughed before kissing his new fiancé.

"And it's about time!"

Jonghyun and Key's heads snapped towards the new voice only to find Onew, the speaker, as well as Minho and Taemin standing, beaming, in the doorway.

"Congratulations~" Taemin sang happily, rushing towards the couple. "Oh, umma, I'm so happy!" Taemin himself had tears streaming down his cheeks, though they were mostly ones of joy. He laughed, his eyes shining as his hyungs embraced him. Onew and Minho moved forward and added their congratulations, equally as glad to see Key on the road to a full recovery. Their SHINee family was back again, stronger and closer than ever.

Nothing would ever come between any of them again.


End file.
